Spots are still available for students to be a part of the Missouri Western State University Children’s Lifetime Sports Academy and Adventure Sports Academy next week.

Dr. Britt Johnson is with Missouri Western’s Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Johnson said the goal of physical education is to help students find an activity they want to do for the rest of their life.

“My dad’s a great example of this, he chose golf. He just absolutely loves golf… and he’s closing in on 70 now and still plays a couple of days a week, so he’s physically active,” Johnson said. “That’s all that we want, whether it’s going out and doing hunting, going backpacking, orienteering, camping… we try to introduce students to as many activities as possible so that each student can find something that they want to do for the rest of their life.”

The Children’s Lifetime Sports Academy for children ages 8 through 12 has been offered for over 40 years. Instruction is offered from 1:30 to 5:15 p.m. Monday through Friday, June 4-8. The week includes archery, canoeing, rappelling, swimming and more. For more information or to register, click here.

The Adventure Sports Academy for students grades 6-8 started in 2015 as a way to build on the success of the Children’s Lifetime Sports Academy. Classes are offered from 1:30 to 5:15 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and from Thursday evening to Friday morning for an overnight camping experience. The week includes scuba diving, martial arts, ropes courses and more. For more information or to register, click here.

For information on either Sports Academy, call (816) 271-4491.

A dedication was held on Memorial Day for the new Gower Veterans Memorial.

Mayor Chip Holman said over 600 people attended the event to show their support for Veterans and Active Duty Service Members.

“It was just an amazing event for our town. Our American Legion, Tony Gardner, which is the gentleman who designed it and is the project manager, did an amazing job,” Holman said. “What’s even neater about this is you’re looking at a $100,000 project that was done for less than half of that because of all the volunteers, the stuff that was donated, as far as equipment, time, it was just amazing. What I like, as the mayor, is the fact that the taxpayers put very minimum into this as far as out of our budget. The city Parks Department, we bought the flags… then we laid the sod around it, other than that, this was all fundraising and it was amazing how Tony and the American Legion was able to put this together and it was just an incredible event.”

The memorial is located at 311 Railroad Avenue in Gower.

The United Way is searching for volunteers to help students maintain their reading skills throughout the summer.

United Way of Greater St. Joseph Director of Community Investment Jodi Bloemker said they are recruiting volunteers to read with small groups of school-age children in summer child care programs.

“We have a brief training just kind of (to) go over some reading tips to help prepare (volunteers). Then they would sit with a group of, typically, four or five children… and you just go around in a circle and you read together. The volunteer would take a page, the next child would take a page… and you just help them with their words, you go through the book,” Bloemker said. “The importance is keeping kids reading over the summer, because when they are out of school, a lot of kids don’t read. By bringing in these volunteers, we keep them reading over the summer to help them maintain their reading skills.”

Some sessions have started, but more volunteers are still needed as sessions run through July. Bloemker said volunteering for the United Way Reading Adventure is an easy way to volunteer.

“It’s also a great way to get youth volunteering, so we will have middle school and high school students who come and read with students, so if you’re needing to get volunteer hours as a youth, this is a great way to do it,” Bloemker said. “It’s also very easy because we’re so flexible, you sign up for whenever you are able to volunteer and you’re not committing to a long term effort.”

The Reading Adventure is a program of the United Way Profit In Education, one of the United Way’s seven initiatives. The program will be held at YMCA, Lindbergh, Hyde, Edison, Parkway, KinderCare, City REC Center, Bartlett Center, and Cathedral. 

For more information on volunteering for the United Way Reading Adventure, visit stjosephunitedway.org.

Nine people died in traffic crashes over the 2018 Memorial Day weekend.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, last year, nine people were killed during the three-day weekend. During the counting period of 6 p.m., Friday, May 25, through 11:59 p.m., Monday, May 28, 2018, the Highway Patrol investigated 294 traffic crashes which included 124 injuries and eight fatalities. Troopers also arrested 121 people for driving while intoxicated and made 102 drug arrests. During the 2017 Memorial Day holiday weekend, the Patrol investigated 345 traffic crashes which included 128 injuries and five of the nine fatalities. Over last year’s holiday weekend, troopers arrested 107 people for driving while intoxicated and made 125 drug arrests.

There were zero boating fatalities over the 2018 Memorial Day weekend. Marine operations troopers investigated 12 boating crashes involving 10 injuries. There were no drownings during the 2018 Memorial Day holiday. Marine operations troopers arrested 16 boaters for boating while intoxicated and made 29 drug arrests. There were zero boating fatalities over the 2017 Memorial Day weekend. Troopers investigated 14 boating crashes involving seven injuries. Three people drowned over last year’s Memorial Day holiday. Troopers arrested 20 people for boating while intoxicated and made six drug arrests.

Of the nine traffic crash fatalities, eight were investigated by the Patrol. Three fatalities occurred in both the Troop A, Lee’s Summit area, and the Troop C, Weldon Spring area. One fatality occurred in both the Troop D, Springfield area, and Troop H, St. Joseph area. The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the remaining fatality.

No traffic fatalities occurred on Friday, May 25, 2018, during the counting period.

Five people died in traffic crashes on Saturday, May 26, 2018. Kristen D. Moore, 18, of Independence died when a possible vehicle defect caused the vehicle to skid and travel off the right side of the roadway. The vehicle overturned multiple times and came to rest on the grassy embankment. Moore and three passengers were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, they were all ejected from the vehicle. The three passengers sustained serious injuries in the crash. A fourth passenger was wearing a seat belt and was not ejected. The fourth passenger sustained serious injuries. The crash occurred in Saline County on Interstate 70 at the 68-mile marker. RN Michele Duckett pronounced Moore deceased at Centerpoint Medical Center. The Sweet Springs Police Department and the Saline County Sheriff’s Department also responded to the scene of the crash.

Jerald R. McDaniel, 38, of Bethany died when the motorcycle he was riding began skidding, overturned, crossed the center line, and came to rest off the west side of the roadway. McDaniel was ejected from the motorcycle and came to rest off the east side of the roadway. The Harrison County coroner pronounced McDaniel dead at the scene. The crash occurred in Harrison County on southbound Interstate 35 at the 98.8-mile marker, north of Bethany. The Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and NTA Ambulance also responded to the scene.

Christopher H. Kent, 48, of St. Louis and Anthony J. Nolda, 62, of St. Louis died when the vehicle Kent was driving traveled off the right side of the road and struck a mailbox, then re-entered the roadway, traveled off the left side of the road, overturned, and struck a utility pole. Neither Kent nor Nolda were wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Sullivan EMS personnel pronounced Kent deceased at the scene. Dr. Kunkel pronounced Nolda deceased at Missouri Baptist Hospital. The crash occurred in Franklin County on westbound Missouri Route W east of Twin Springs Road. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Department also responded to the scene.

Alan Landis, 79, of St. Louis died when another vehicle struck the motorized scooter he was operating. Landis was ejected from the motorized scooter. He was pronounced dead at Mercy South Hospital. The other driver was not injured in the crash; he was wearing his seat belt. The crash occurred in St. Louis County near the intersection of Telegraph Road and Barracksview Road. The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the crash.

Three people died in traffic crashes on Sunday, May 27, 2018. Charles W. Ridenour, 48, of Cadet died when the vehicle he was driving crossed the center line and struck another vehicle head-on. Ridenour was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. The driver of the second vehicle was not injured; he was not wearing a seat belt. A passenger in the second vehicle sustained minor injuries in the crash; she was wearing a seat belt. Dr. Michael Kutmas pronounced Ridenour deceased at Washington County Memorial Hospital. The crash occurred in Washington County on Missouri Highway 21 south of Thomlinson Road.

Ruth King, 88, of Wichita, KS, died when the driver of the vehicle in which she was a passenger went off the roadway into the median, crossed the roadway, struck an embankment, and overturned. King was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. The driver was not wearing a seat belt; he sustained serious injuries in the crash. The crash occurred in Lawrence County on Interstate 44 west of Halltown. Dr. Courtney Beard pronounced King deceased at Mercy Hospital.

Larry G. Kelly, 75, of Kansas City, KS, died when the driver of a second vehicle crossed into the path of Kelly’s vehicle and struck its front. Kelly was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. AMR EMS Paramedic James Dir pronounced Kelly dead at the scene. The driver of the second vehicle was not wearing a seat belt; she sustained serious injuries in the crash. A passenger in the second vehicle was wearing a seat belt; she sustained serious injuries in the crash. The crash occurred in Platte County on Missouri Highway 9 after Riss Lake Drive. The Parkville Police Department also responded to the scene.

One person was pronounced dead due to a traffic crash on May 28, 2018. Richard Watson, 23, died when the motorcycle he was riding traveled off the right side of the roadway and overturned. Watson was ejected from the motorcycle and came to rest in some trees. The crash occurred in Ray County westbound on Missouri Highway 210 after Missouri Highway EE. It is unknown what day or time the crash occurred; Watson was reported missing on May 28. Ray County Coroner Bart William pronounced Watson deceased May 28 at the scene. The Ray County Sheriff’s Department also responded to the scene.

Fingerprinting, the K-9 Unit and more will be part of the St. Joseph Police Department’s Junior Police Academy.

This will be the first year of the program. Devin Kallauner is a police officer and school resource officer. Kallauner said the Junior Police Academy is similar to the Citizen’s Academy held in the spring, but is geared toward students ages 12 to 14 who may be interested in law enforcement.

“This is going to be a little bit of education, but there’s a lot of hands-on,” Kallauner said. “You’re going to be taking fingerprints, learning how to lift a fingerprint… we’re going to have the K-9 unit come in, they’re going to talk to all the kids, explain to them why they would use the K-9… the same way with the bicycle unit, the traffic unit, the SRT Team. There’s a lot of personalization, there’s a lot of talking, a lot of stories, there’s going to be a lot of questions, we’re excited for those.”

Kallauner said there will be no tasing or handling of weapons or ammunition during the Junior Police Academy.

“I’ve had a lot of questions… the students are not going to be maced, they’re not going to be tased, we’re not going to handcuff them, that’s not the kind of academy it’s going to be. It’s going to be more (of) learning about our job, trying to get them interested and if there is a spark, then great,” Kallauner said. “This is not all about the St. Joseph Police Department, if kids get interested in this, there are hundreds of other things they can do… and that’s kind of what we’re wanting to show them is just the other aspects of police work.”

The Junior Police Academy takes place from 8 a.m. to noon July 16-20, 2018.

The deadline for registration for the Junior Police Academy is June 1st. Applications are available online and should be dropped off at the St. Joseph Police Station at 501 Faraon Street.